


Second Star on the Right and Straight on Till Morning

by forgerofdreams



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-02
Updated: 2012-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-11 07:05:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/475882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgerofdreams/pseuds/forgerofdreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John was supposed to take care of him.<br/>And he did.<br/>Till the very end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Star on the Right and Straight on Till Morning

It’d been an act of mercy at first.

Something he’d thought Bruce might want, to have John watch over the aging man that had been such a large part of his life for so long. At first he’d just been there to make sure Alfred didn’t break down, but then…it became more about keeping him alive.

It hadn’t taken long for his age to catch up with him. With no ward to watch over, and sense of peace that had come over him after a trip abroad, it was all John could do to keep the man eating, and breathing.

He’d never felt this helpless in his life, even more so than the moment on the bridge, the last bridge that lead Gotham to freedom collapsed beneath his feet as a cop chose duty over humanity. That day still echoed within him, making him wake up in sweats with an image of the people he cared about blown to ashes tattooed on the back of his eyelids as he breathed in the night air.

It was on one of these nights that he’d stolen through the empty halls of the Wayne manor. The East Wing sectioned off just for Alfred, and now John’s presence, while the rest ran rampant with teenage children that finally had room to run and grow.

He stumbled across the older man, sitting complacently at the kitchen island, with a mug of tea wrapped in his hands and a tank of oxygen strapped to his nose.

“Alfred.”

“Ah, the young John Blake has awoken. Are you here for a late night drink?” Alfred lifted his own mug in salute as John entered further into the kitchen, crossing over to the coffeepot and setting up a pot to boil.

“Sounds like a pretty good idea.” As he waited for the coffee to finish, he sat down across from the man that meant so much to so few people, and wondered what it must be like to live as long as he has.

“If you want to ask, do so, Mr. Blake. I don’t do staring very well.” Ducking his head on a smile, he shook his head as he looked down at his twined hands and lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

“I dunno, just…do you miss him?” John chanced a glance up to see the abject pain that seemed to be reflected in the other man’s, quickly erased away beneath the benevolent mask he wore day to day.

“Every day, Mr. Blake. Every day.” It was from that moment on, John knew what he needed to do. Needed to do to help Alfred, and he knew that it would be something he’d never be able to forgive himself for. 

Because instead of helping Alfred with his pills in the morning, he slipped him placebos, helping the older man as his body slowly started to fail him, and watched each day as more and more life slipped from his form, reflected only in the smile that he would send John sometimes, because he knew. He knew what John was doing for him, and he couldn’t help but feel grateful.

It was with a heavy heart John laid Alfred to rest next to the family he’d given his entire life for. 

And for the first time, it what seemed like ages.

He was alone.


End file.
